


Blindsided

by cherryandmapletrees



Series: The Milkshake Guild [5]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Archeryl - Freeform, Car Accidents, Charchie, Depiction of Injuries, F/M, Guilt, Near Death Experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-09-06 20:17:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16839667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryandmapletrees/pseuds/cherryandmapletrees
Summary: Their day was supposed to be absolutely perfect, and it was. Until it wasn't.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: Please read the tags before continuing. This fic deals with a car accident and near death for one of the characters, and severe injuries. Take note, I am not an actual doctor, but I have done extensive research to try to make this as accurate as possible. There's a few medical terms in here, so just in case you don't know what they mean... Look to the end notes. 
> 
> Thanks yet again to my wonderful beta, squids (shrugheadjonesthethird) <3
> 
> Enjoy!

It was amazing by all accounts. But what was even more amazing was how fast the world could change. How fast it could go from laughter, gentle touches of a hand on a knee, and the scent of flowers in the air to screaming, shattered glass, and the heavy stench of blood. 

\--

For their anniversary, Cheryl insisted they go to Sweetwater River for a picnic. Since she'd let go of her past, she was gradually more comfortable near the river, until it eventually became their spot. It was the place they went to just be  _ together  _ and not worry about anyone or anything else. 

She had insisted--when they’d discussed details--that she pack their meal, wanting to do something special for him. All she required of him was two milkshakes from Pop's. They had planned their last few milkshake dates very carefully to ensure that they could have strawberry milkshakes today and still follow the rules-- _ Rule 3 stated that no flavor of milkshake could be had two times in a row _ \--set in place by their Milkshake Guild. 

Strawberry had been the flavor they’d both had together for the first time.It only seemed fitting that it be the flavor on their anniversary.

Funnily enough, she'd never much liked milkshakes growing up, not unless she was sharing one with Jason. But with Archie, she'd grown to love them. Milkshakes had been what brought them together in the first place and the sweet, creamy treats had rapidly become a staple of their relationship. 

He'd surprised her, showing up with her favorite flowers, stargazer lilies, along with the milkshakes. 

“Hi, angel.” He'd grinned at her when her face had lit up at the sight of the flowers, laughing when she'd thrown her arms around him and kissed him. 

“Archie, you absolute darling! You brought me my favorites!” She gently took the flowers from him, breathing in their sweet scent, letting her eyes shut to savor the moment. 

“Of course I did. Isn't it required to bring your girlfriend flowers on your anniversary?” 

“Not required, but greatly appreciated.” She beamed at him and beckoned him inside. “I have something for you. I know you said no presents, but I saw it and it was perfect.” 

“Cheryl…” She raised her eyebrow at him, tipping her head to the side. 

“Don't pretend you didn't get me something, we both know that's why you avoided me the other night.” 

He grinned sheepishly, stepping inside and slipping his arm around her waist. 

“Busted.” He whispered as he kissed her temple.

“I might decide to forgive you. Someday.” She teased, leading him towards the kitchen where she’d hidden his gift. He followed willingly, his hand squeezing gently at her hip.

“But, whatever will I do until then?”

“I’m sure you can figure something else out, darling.” He made a pouting face at her, the expression melting into a pleased grin when she laughed.

He stopped short when he saw the guitar case on the table, moving forward almost reverently, his hand slightly lifted to touch the case. 

“Is that--?”

“An ‘84 Les Paul? Yes. In signature Blossom red. Since you couldn’t keep the other one.” She watched him carefully, hoping she hadn’t overstepped.

“Cheryl, this is too much. Where did you even get this?”

“Same place as the last one, darling.” He turned toward her, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her softly, his face an expression of pure joy.

“It’s too much. But thank you, angel. I love it. And you. Happy anniversary.”

“Happy anniversary, Archie.”

\--

She’d done wonders on a picnic basket, making his favorite sandwiches, baking delicious pastries, and going so far as to make fresh squeezed lemonade. 

They had lunch on the bank of Sweetwater River, laughing as they talked about the early stages of their relationship, the close calls, almost being caught by Betty after he forgot to close his curtains.

Once the last of their milkshakes was gone, they slowly packed up. Even though they had plans to spend the rest of the day together, neither of them was all too eager to leave the river. Eventually though, they loaded the car back up and started the drive back to Thistle House, each full of laughter and love for each other. 

She'd insisted on bringing her flowers with her, laying them carefully in the backseat, and by the time they got back in, the car was filled with their intoxicating scent. 

Halfway home, his voice broke the comfortable quiet and he moved his hand from the steering wheel to rest on her knee for a moment. 

“I was going to wait until we got back, but I'm impatient. Your present is in the back if you want it, I slipped it into the picnic basket while we were loading up.” He grinned slightly, chancing a glance at her face. She laughed softly, shaking her head. 

“Of course you did, darling.” She twisted to reach back, her fingertips barely brushing the edge of the basket, but not enough to grab it. With an annoyed huff, she unbuckled and twisted around further, bracing herself in the front seat on a knee as she reached back, her fingers curling around the wicker handle. 

That was the moment the world changed. 

\--

Later, Archie would look back on that moment, reliving it over and over again. Maybe if he'd given in to his desire to look over at her for just a few moments, he'd have seen. Maybe if he'd looked, he could have stopped. He could have warned her. 

And maybe not. 

\--

Everything seemed to shatter as the pickup truck hit them from the passenger side. Neither of them had seen the truck coming, Archie’s eyes focusing on the road in front of him and Cheryl preoccupied with reaching in the back for the picnic basket. 

The truck didn't slow. No screeching brakes and no blaring horn. Nothing to alert Archie to the danger hurtling towards them at 65 miles per hour. Both of them, for that fleeting moment, were blissfully unaware.

\--

Cheryl noticed things in broken pieces as soon as the truck hit. The first was the sound of scraping metal and shattering glass. The second was the sickening echo of something snapping as her body catapulted into Archie's seat, accompanied by a searing pain in her right side and a sudden difficulty in breathing. 

Her left foot slammed into something solid as she went flying, and she thought she heard a grunt of pain through the ringing in her ears. Somehow she ended up in the backseat, her momentum throwing her into the driver's side door. Her head slammed into the door, and she only felt the pain for a moment before darkness swallowed her whole, her mind mercifully going blank. She didn't even feel the shards of glass and metal that sliced her thigh open, her blood flowing freely. 

\-- 

The world seemed to move slowly for Archie, his mind picking out odd things amongst the chaos. First, a fleeting thought of Cheryl as he heard glass break and felt something hit his seat, hard. His body slammed into the driver’s side door, and he felt something in his shoulder give way. Something hit his left arm, and he felt the familiar sharp burst of pain that meant a break, and in a disjointed thought, he noticed that it was one of Cheryl’s boots that had hit his arm. He felt something hit the car from the driver’s side, and his head smacked against the window, black spots swimming across his vision.

It took awhile for the fuzziness to fade from his thoughts, and by then he’d realized that there hadn’t been a second impact. The car had ended up on its side, and his head was nearly resting on the street through the shattered window. His thoughts were oddly hard to catch, floating at the edge of his mind before flickering away again. One thought was clear, though.

Cheryl.

He had to get to Cheryl.

His fingers fumbled at the latch on his seatbelt, trying to unbuckle himself. It took him a few tries to get it unlatched, but he finally got it, trying to wedge himself out enough to move. 

He became acutely aware of the heavy, metallic scent of blood filling the air, and panic settled in his stomach. He turned his body as much as he could, and caught sight of her boot, resting on the side of his seat. Not moving.

A new jolt of adrenaline shot through him, and he yanked his foot loose from where it had wedged between the gas and brake pedals, feeling a wrench that could only mean he’d sprained it. It took a bit of maneuvering, but he managed to get to where he was facing the back.

“Cheryl.” He could hear the fear in his voice, closing his throat so he could barely even hear his voice saying her name.

Her body was crumpled, halfway on the door and half wedged in the space between the front and backseat. She was face down, her hair a wild mess around her, and he couldn’t tell if she was breathing.

“ _ Cheryl! _ ” He struggled to reach towards her, to get any sort of indication that she was alive.

His fingers slid across her thigh and came away slick with blood, and he froze. Hoping against all hope that it hadn’t been an artery, he tried to reach further, trying to see if she was moving, breathing,  _ anything _ .

He heard the sirens just as he managed to stretch far enough to brush his fingers against her chest, feeling it move the slightest bit. He sighed in relief and waited until the sirens were right on them, loud and insistent, battering against the headache forming in his skull. 

“Thank god.” The ambulance was here. They’d be okay.

\--

They got him out first, since he could help pull himself out. He’d tried to fight them, begging them to check on Cheryl first, but they’d shut him down, telling him that if he was out of the car, it would make it easier for them to get to her. After that he’d stopped fighting and had let them try to pull him out of the car.

They’d had to cut the doors off, and they’d been talking to him the whole time, asking him his name, the date, and the same questions. A paramedic took him aside and checked him over when he flatly refused to leave before they got Cheryl out, but all he could focus on was what he was hearing from the firemen that were trying to pull Cheryl out of the remains of the car. Words that sent cold fear directly into his heart.

Words like  _ possible spine injury _ ,  _ femoral artery likely severed _ ,  _ flail chest _ , and  _ broken ribs _ . 

But also the words that gave him hope had him trying to push the paramedics away so he could get to her.

Words like  _ she’s breathing _ ,  _ she’s alive _ . 

They pulled her slowly from the car, two of them supporting her legs while another held her neck carefully still. Her body was limp between them, and Archie stared at her chest, praying for movement. They strapped her to a board, he assumed to hold her in place in case she had injured her spine, and he breathed a sigh of relief when one of them called out  _ she's still alive, get her into the ambulance.  _

They were careful with her as they loaded her into the ambulance, and the paramedic standing over Archie looked at him with a gentle sympathy as he tried to move towards her again. 

“I can't get you in there with her, son. They need room to work with her, stabilize her before they get to the hospital. She's in rough shape, but they'll do their best to save her.” 

He nodded numbly, his eyes not leaving the spot where she was, even when they shut the doors first on the ambulance she was in and and then the doors of the one they’d put him in. 

There were two paramedics in the back with him, and they made him lie back. His mind floated away, following Cheryl closely as he vaguely heard the two talking over him, quiet murmurs that he couldn’t force himself to listen to.

\--

He tried to get another look at her when they got to the hospital, but they seemed to be working to keep him away from her. The hospital staff moved faster with her, unloading her and wheeling her inside before they even opened the doors to get to Archie. He heard something about  _ oxygen levels dropping _ and his heart froze again, fear lancing through him. 

_ Please let her be okay _ was the last thought swimming through his head as the darkness he’d been holding back finally rose up and pulled him down, unconsciousness taking him.

\--

His eyes opened to a sterile white ceiling and the soft beeping of machines, and it took him a few moments before he remembered what had happened. The beeping accelerated slightly, and a quiet female voice spoke up.

“Easy, honey. Calm down, you’re alright, stay still.” He turned his head towards the voice, seeing a nurse standing by the machinery, taking down his vitals. “Do you remember what happened?”

“Cheryl. The girl who was with me, is she okay?” Her eyes flickered to the door for a split second before she answered him, and she leaned in a little. 

“Technically, I’m not supposed to tell you if you aren’t direct family, but she’s in surgery right now. She lost a lot of blood, and she was pretty injured. They’re doing everything they can, Mr. Andrews. They’ll do their best to save her.”

“Is she going to--?” He couldn’t finish his question, his voice cracking. 

“I honestly don’t know. They’ve contacted her mother, but we haven’t seen any sign of the woman.” Her expression was warm and sympathetic, and she laid a hand on his shoulder. “You got pretty banged up too, kid. Dislocated left shoulder, probably from the initial impact, a break in your right forearm, sprained ankle, and a pretty nasty concussion. You’re lucky you didn’t get hurt worse.” He nodded silently, knowing that Cheryl was only hurt so badly because she’d unbuckled to reach into the back at his bidding. 

There was a quiet knock on the door, and he looked to see Sheriff Keller standing in the doorway, watching Archie carefully, his face drawn.

“Archie. I need to speak with you alone, if that’s alright.” He nodded again, unable to come up with the words. 

Sheriff Keller stepped inside the room, standing at the foot of Archie’s bed, and after the nurse quietly excused herself, he sighed.

“Are you alright?” He looked genuinely concerned, and Archie attempted to console him with yet another silent nod. 

“Good. I need to ask you some questions. First off, where were you coming from?”

“Sweetwater River.” 

“And where were you going?” 

“Cheryl's. Thistle House.” 

“Why were you at Sweetwater River?” His questions were short and to the point, but Archie could see the tightness in his shoulders. 

“It's our anniversary today.” He thought he saw a slight smile, but when Sheriff Keller looked up, there was no trace of it. 

“Were you drinking?”

“No. Neither of us drink.” 

“I need you to tell me, to the best of your ability, what happened. Did the truck slow down, honk its horn, swerve, anything?” 

“No, Sheriff Keller. I just…I don't know, one minute I'm watching the road and then next, something hit the car and it went flying. I didn't hear anything at all, and we didn't have any music playing or anything that would have stopped me from hearing it.” Sheriff Keller nodded, his expression solemn. 

“One more thing. The paramedics said Miss Blossom was in the backseat when they came on the scene and that it looked like she'd hit your seat before going into the back. Her seat belt wasn't broken, it was undone. Why was she unbuckled?” Archie closed his eyes and dropped his head back, guilt shooting through him. 

“She was reaching for something in the back and she…she couldn't reach it while she was buckled in. She took the belt off and was on a knee in the seat when--” his voice broke, and he cleared his throat before he continued “--when the truck hit.” 

“Why was she reaching in the back?” 

Archie's voice was barely louder than a whisper. 

“Because I told her to grab something back there. It's my fault.” 

“Don't do that to yourself, kid. You had no idea. You're both lucky you didn't get hurt worse. I'm sure Fred will be glad, too.”

“Did someone call him?” 

“I did. As soon as I got the call, he’ll be here any minute.”

Archie nodded gratefully, dropping his head back against the pillows. He heard a quiet sigh from Sheriff Keller, and the man spoke up a moment later. 

“I have some information about the other driver for you, but I'll wait to tell you once you're in better shape. Get some rest, Archie.” Quiet footsteps sounded, Sheriff Keller leaving the room, and Archie felt the quiet settle in around him. 

Quiet was bad. Quiet gave him the opportunity to think. 

It was his fault Cheryl was in surgery right now, doctors working to save her life. If he had just waited until they'd gotten home to tell her about the gift he'd gotten her. If he'd just looked over at her while she was reaching back, he'd have seen the truck. He could've stopped. 

If they'd stayed at Sweetwater River a little longer. If they'd stayed at her house a little longer. 

So many ifs. So many ways it could have gone. 

Why did it have play out this way? With him lying in a hospital bed and her on a surgery table, fighting for her life. 

\--

  
  


Cheryl blinked, clearing her head. Everything seemed to be bright and foggy, and she turned her head, her chest squeezing as she caught sight of a familiar head of bright red hair. 

“Jason?” Cheryl's heart soared as she heard her brother's voice. 

“My dear sister. It's been too long.” She threw herself forward, burying her head in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. 

Something was teasing at the edge of her thoughts, but she couldn't pin anything down except for the smell of stargazer lilies. 

“Oh, Jason. I’ve missed you so much.” 

Shattering glass broke through her thoughts, forcing her to remember what she wanted to forget. 

Reaching into the back to get something. And then impact. Pain as she hit the seat and then the backseat door. 

“Jason. Am I dead?”  _ Oh.  _ Oh no. Archie. 

Jason smiled gently, squeezing her shoulder softly. 

“No, little sister. You're not. It's not your time yet.” 

“But… Jason. I  _ miss  _ you.” 

“It's not your time. You need to go back. Squeeze your hand.” She smiled slightly, confused. 

“Jason? What do you mean?” He was starting to fade from her vision, and she struggled to hold him tighter, to stop him from slipping away. 

“Squeeze your hand, Cheryl. Just trust me. Archie needs you.” 

“But  _ I need you,  _ Jason. Don't leave me alone again, please.”

“You're not alone, Cheryl. I'm still with you, and you have Archie now. So squeeze your hand. He's waiting for you.” Tears were slipping down her cheeks, but she squeezed her hand shut, surprised when she hit resistance. 

_ “Cheryl? Cheryl, oh my god.” _

Archie. 

_ “Cheryl? Angel, come on. Open your eyes.”  _

“I love you, Jason.” 

“I love you too, sister. Now open your eyes.” 

Jason faded from her vision, his smile the last thing in her mind before she opened her eyes to a white ceiling. 

\--

Cheryl's eyes flickered open, and Archie's heart soared with relief. 

While she’d been asleep, they’d given up on Penelope ever coming in, and the doctor had briefed Archie on Cheryl’s condition. She had broken four ribs upon impact with his seat, a concussion and spinal contusion when she’d hit the door, a dislocated hip, and her femoral artery had been cut by a piece of flying glass. She’d been very,  _ very  _ lucky, they’d told him. If the glass had sliced her thigh at even a slightly different angle, she might have bled out before they had gotten her to the hospital.

But the overarching statement was that she would be fine, and he repeated that to himself over and over as he held her hand as soon as they let him into the room. Sheriff Keller had brought him everything important from the car at Archie’s request, including the gift Archie had been trying to give her when they had been hit. He had it in his lap now, both of his hands wrapped around one of hers as he waited for her to look at him. 

“Cheryl.” Her lips curved in a smile, and he squeezed her hand gently. 

“Archie.” 

“Oh thank God you're awake. I am so sorry, Cheryl, it's all my fault.” She squeezed his hand again, and his guilt spiked when her eyes flickered to him. 

“Don't. It's not your fault, you had no way to know what would happen.” He managed a half smile, bringing her hand to his lips, tears streaming down his face. “Besides, Archie, I’m the one who unbuckled and reached back there. You didn’t rip the belt off of me and shove me back there. It’s not your fault, darling. I promise.”

He must have looked unconvinced, because she smiled again and ran her thumb along the side of his hand.

“Trust me, Archie. And I still want my present.” She made an attempt at teasing for him, and she laughed slightly, but winced in pain at the too deep breath against her ribs.

“I’m supposed to be the one cheering you up, angel.”

“You know what would cheer me up wonderfully? That present I went through all this trouble for.” He rolled his eyes, but relented and handed her the box, which was surprisingly intact given everything. 

She grabbed for it, her hands closing around the box. He very gently helped her sit up after she persuaded him that she was fine, she was full of enough pain meds she couldn’t feel anything more than a dull ache. He watched her closely as she opened it, her face lighting up as she saw the locket, graceful silver angel wings surrounding a beautiful red gemstone. 

“Oh. It’s  _ exquisite.  _ It’s perfect. Thank you, Archie.” 

“I love you, Cheryl. No matter what.”

“No matter what.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 everyone! (Sorry for the wait, personal life threw me a curveball)
> 
> I'm debating giving Blindsided more chapters, but I'm not sure. Drop me a note in the comments, do you think I should continue with Blindsided or stay with the oneshots? 
> 
> Also, what kind of content would you want to see for our darling Archie and Cheryl in the future? I'm always looking for new ideas, so drop me any ideas or things you'd like to see.
> 
> As always, thanks to my lovely beta Mama Cyd (squids)

Cheryl woke slowly, the morphine still holding her in a hazy sleep state. She shook her head slightly to erase the sleepiness from her mind and moved hesitantly to a slightly more elevated position. She couldn’t sit fully up without help still, which was aggravating, but she was getting better.

She became aware of fingers wrapped around hers, and she looked over to see Archie asleep, his body hunched over so that his hand was still in hers and his head resting on the bed. She smiled softly, watching as he breathed deeply, his face peaceful and calm in a way it hadn’t been for quite a while.

Cheryl had been in the hospital for three days and Penelope still hadn’t been in to see her. 

Not that she minded at all, she had Archie; that’s all she needed. He’d refused to leave her side, and had only left the room when visiting hours were over. Even then, he’d slept in the waiting room until the nurses had taken pity on him and let him stay in Cheryl’s room with her all the time.

Fred Andrews had been in and out, checking on his son and Cheryl both. She greatly appreciated his care and sympathy, something she would never have gotten from her mother.

Her hand lifted to the locket at her throat and her fingers gently stroked the surface of it, feeling the carved graceful wings surrounding the smooth surface of the gemstone. Not the most expensive or ornate piece of jewelry she owned, but already one of the most precious, alongside the spider brooches from Jason.

“Miss Blossom? You have another visitor.” The blonde nurse that had been keeping an eye on Cheryl for the last few days spoke quietly from the doorway, and Cheryl looked over at her. Before she could ask who the visitor was, her hand tensed on Archie’s as she caught sight of the person hovering behind the nurse.

Penelope Blossom had finally decided to show her face.

Archie jerked awake next to Cheryl at the increased pressure on his hand, his tone mildly panicked.

“I’m up. What’s wrong? What do you need?” She didn’t take her eyes off of her mother as she answered him quietly, her voice soft and quiet.

“Sorry, Archie. I didn’t mean to wake you.” 

He cast a confused glance in the direction of her stare and his hand tightened even more around hers as he saw her mother standing there.

“Mrs. Blossom.”

“Archibald. Pleasure to see you again. I must say, I didn’t expect to see you with my daughter again.” Cheryl restrained herself from rolling her eyes, knowing it would only make this discussion harder.

“Mother. Why are you here?” Penelope gave her a patronizing smile, her fingers clutching around the thousand-dollar purse she held.

“Can’t I come see my only daughter in the hospital after her tragic accident?” Her voice was nothing but sweetness, but Cheryl could hear the poison behind it.

Archie scoffed, standing to face Penelope.

“I’m finding it a little hard to believe that, Mrs. Blossom, since she’s been here for three days and you’re just now coming to see her.”

“I had...other matters to attend to.”

“Matters more important than your own daughter’s life?” Archie wasn’t even attempting to hold back the anger in his tone, and Cheryl squeezed his hand gently in an attempt to calm him down. His hand relaxed in hers, his thumb gently tracing the curve of her wrist.

“She was in good hands here at Riverdale’s fine hospital, was she not?”

“That’s not what matters here, Mrs. Blossom. What matters is that your daughter nearly  _ died _ and you were running off doing...whatever it is you do.” Penelope’s mouth tightened, anger snapping in her eyes. Cheryl’s stomach twisted, knowing that look couldn’t bode well for Archie.

“As I said, Archibald, I had important matters to attend to.”

“You mean letting married men pay you for sex?” The poison and hurt in Cheryl’s tone shocked even her, and she shrank back from Penelope’s answering glare. Archie shifted his position to block Cheryl from her mother’s view, and she lowered her head, cold fear shooting through her. She’d have to answer for that when she ended up back home, and she wouldn’t have Archie there with her to stand next to her, to help her stand up for herself. 

“Watch your tone, young lady. This is not the way a Blossom conducts themselves.” The fear tightened in Cheryl’s chest and the quiet beeping in the background picked up speed as her heart raced, her breath coming in short bursts. 

It must have alerted the nurses, because one of them came into the room, a look of gentle concern on her face, closely followed by Fred Andrews. Cheryl’s eyes were still on her mother, so she noticed the shift from the burning anger and hatred in Penelope’s face to the perfectly calm and smooth expression as she turned to Fred.

A classic Blossom technique: hide your true emotions behind the clean, detached mask.

“Penelope. Finally decided to show up, I see?” Penelope smiled slightly at Fred’s slightly acidic tone, but Cheryl could see the tension in the set of her shoulders.

“I had important business to attend to over the last few days, but I came here as soon as I heard of the terrible accident. I trust you have reprimanded your son for his driving that nearly cost my dear daughter her life?”

“I’ve spoken with Sheriff Keller. He assured me there was nothing Archie could have done to avoid the accident, and I will thank you not to accuse him of being negligent or unsafe. Nor will I stand for you treating your daughter the way you do.” 

Over the last few days, Fred had been in and out to visit multiple times, sitting with Cheryl when he forced his son to go home and get a few hours of sleep. She’d noticed very quickly just how observant her boyfriend’s father was, just how much he saw. 

He’d noticed the slight flinch and wince when he or the nurses mentioned her mother’s name, how her eyes flickered to the doorway when the click of high heels on the linoleum could be heard, fear swimming in their depths. He hadn’t mentioned anything about it, hadn’t asked her about it, but she’d noticed the look of understanding and compassion in his eyes.

She had seen in Fred just where Archie had gotten his gentle compassion and good nature from and, most importantly, she trusted him.

She’d told him everything, even things she hadn’t told Archie yet. All of the abuse she had dealt with over the years, both before and after Jason had died, the snide comments directed at her when she was at her most vulnerable, the physical abuse-- all of it. He had sat quietly while she spoke, her voice shaky and fragile.

His eyes had held hers whenever she had braved a look up at him. And she could tell he had heard something like this before from someone he cared about.

Fred turned to glance at her now, his eyes flickering down to look at how tightly she clung to his son’s hand--her knuckles white as bone--and she saw a moment of decision on his face before he turned back to Penelope.

“She’s not going home with you whenever they release her, Penelope.” Pure shock crossed Penelope’s expression for just a moment before she schooled it back into cool neutrality.

“Excuse me?”

“She’s coming home with us. There’s no need for a girl like her to be in such a toxic environment, especially not after she was hurt so badly.” Cheryl watched as her mother’s mouth opened and closed, obviously at a loss for words. The elder Blossom turned her eyes on her daughter who couldn’t help but shrink back into the pillows.

“You stay with them and you are no longer allowed in my house, do you understand me?” Cheryl nodded mutely, relief flooding through her at the prospect of not having to go back.

Penelope’s spine straightened, a perfectly manicured hand lifting to smooth her hair back before turning towards the door. 

“I’ll be by in a while to pick up some of Cheryl’s things, Penelope.” Fred’s tone was cold and he didn’t relax until the click of Mrs. Blossom’s heels was far down the hallway. 

Archie released Cheryl’s hand, moving towards his father.

“Did you mean it? Cheryl staying with us?” Fred smiled softly at Cheryl and nodded, clapping his hand on Archie’s shoulder. 

“Of course. We have an empty guest bedroom for just this kind of thing.”

“Thank you, Mr. Andrews. You really didn’t have to do that.”

“Don’t thank me, darlin’. I’m just doing for you something I should have done for someone else a long time ago.” So she’d been right in her assumption earlier, he had heard someone else’s stories of abuse before.

She could see Archie’s wide grin in the corner of her vision, and she laughed softly when he threw his arms around his father, thanking him. 

Exhaustion flooded through her and she finally let herself relax back into the pillows. Archie was back at her side in a moment, his fingers trailing along her cheek.

“Are you okay?” She sighed in contentment at his gentle touch, nodding.

“I’m alright, Archie dear. Just tired.” Fred spoke up quietly, his voice calm and soothing.

“Archie, let’s let her get some sleep. The nurses can keep an eye on her for a while, we should go to Thistlehouse and get some of Cheryl’s things before that woman tries to destroy them.” Archie looked down at Cheryl, a question in his eyes.

“Go ahead, Archie. You know my favorites and the things I’d really need. I’ll be fine, I’ll just sleep for a while.” Her eyes were already drifting shut, exhaustion weighing them down. 

She was asleep by the time they walked out the door.

\--

Archie took his place at Cheryl’s side as soon as he and his father finished getting her things from Thistlehouse. They’d gotten there just in time, Penelope had looked like she was on a warpath. They gotten most of Cheryl’s things and Archie had been sure to get the things he knew she loved most, namely the spider brooches Jason had collected for her over the years.

He looked up at a quiet knock on the door, surprised to see Jughead and Betty in the doorway. Betty smiled sheepishly, a small bouquet of flowers clutched in her hand.

“Hey guys. Come on in.” He spoke in hushed tones, trying not to wake Cheryl, who was still asleep. They slipped inside, hands joined.

Betty moved to place the flowers on the bedside table and Archie noticed that it was a pretty arrangement--except for the sunflowers. Cheryl  _ hated _ sunflowers, she’d told Archie they were her father’s favorite flowers. 

Jughead stayed where he was, looking down at Cheryl’s sleeping form, his lips pursed slightly. 

“How is she?” Betty’s voice was full of concern, but Archie didn’t lower his eyes from Jughead’s face as he answered her.

“She’s doing better. Doctor said she’ll be able to go home sometime next week. She’s coming to stay with my dad and I after she gets out.”

“You sure that’s a good idea, Arch?” Even Betty winced at Jughead’s tone, turning to her boyfriend with a silent reprimand in her eyes.

Archie stiffened slightly, releasing Cheryl’s hand with a gentle kiss to her knuckles and standing to face his best friend.

“Yes. What’s your problem with it?” 

Jughead was opening his mouth to answer, his expression twisted slightly in anger, before Betty cut him off.

“Boys. Not in here, she’s sleeping. Take this outside, I’ll sit with her.” She caught Archie’s glance of concern and stretched her arm forward, resting her hand on his shoulder. “I’ll keep an eye on her, Archie. Don’t worry about it. You two need to talk some stuff out.”

He nodded silently, casting another look at Cheryl to make sure she was still asleep. With a heavy sigh, he motioned for Jughead to follow him out of the room. 

Once outside of the hospital, wincing slightly against the bright sun, Archie turned to face his friend, arms crossed in front of his chest.

“What’s your problem? You’ve had an issue with this ever since Cheryl and I started dating.”

“You mean when you finally went public with it? You hid it for six months before you told anyone, and you didn’t even really tell anyone, just kissed her in front of the entire school. I’d have been happy for you, Arch, but I just wish you had told me.”

“Would you? Have been happy for me, I mean. Really? Because you don’t really seem like it, you haven’t for the last few months.”

“Because you’re spending all of your time with  _ her _ , Archie. Did you forget the months that she made all of our lives hell just to make herself feel better? She’s not a nice person, and that kind of thing doesn’t just change overnight. She’s just using you, and you’re too blind and naive to see it.”

Archie’s fists clenched where they were curled against his chest and he forced himself to take deep breaths.

“You spend just as much time with Betty as I do with Cheryl. Yeah, she kind of made our lives shit, but we did the same to her, Jughead. Jesus, we all treated her so badly after Jason died that she tried to kill herself.” He took a few steadying breaths to keep his cool.

“Betty tried to blackmail her with the worst moment of her life. She’s a broken person, Jug, but I  _ love  _ her. If you had made an attempt to get to know her, you’d see she’s different than the mask she puts up around people. She’s gentle, caring, observant, thoughtful, and loving. She sees things how they are and she calls them like that, and I appreciate that about her. I know what she’s thinking because she tells me, she doesn’t hide things.”

Jughead opened his mouth to answer, but Archie cut him off again.

“No. She’s not going anywhere, so you need to get used to her. Talk to her, Jug. Get to know her, please.” Archie relaxed his fists, watching as Jughead ran his hands through his hair, sighing heavily.

“Why is she living with you?”

“It’s not my story to tell, but she doesn’t need to be around her mother right now.” Jughead looked at Archie again, his shoulders sagging slightly as he nodded.

"Alright, Arch. I'll give her a chance. For you, and only for you. Not for her." Archie grinned, throwing his arm around his friend's shoulder.

"Thanks, Jug. You'll love her, I promise."

"Yeah well, we'll see."

"That's all I'm asking." With a roll of his eyes, Jughead motioned towards the door, and the two of them headed back inside, Archie eager to be near Cheryl again.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr at flight-for-the-fallen for Riverdale content or weathered-wings-and-broken-bones for everything else (bonus points if you get the reference)
> 
> As for the medical terms: 
> 
> Flail chest: Flail chest is a life-threatening medical condition that occurs when a segment of the rib cage breaks due to trauma and becomes detached from the rest of the chest wall. The flail segment moves in the opposite direction to the rest of the chest wall: because of the ambient pressure in comparison to the pressure inside the lungs, it goes in while the rest of the chest is moving out, and vice versa.
> 
> Spinal contusion: Spinal cord contusion (SCC) is an injury caused by crushing of the cord with part of its tissue spared.
> 
> Femoral artery: The femoral artery is a large artery in the thigh and the main arterial supply to the leg. Note: It is possible but very difficult to survive an injury to the femoral artery. If the artery is sliced horizontally, the body does its best to withdraw the artery and pull it back so that if medical help is reached in time, it is possible to survive. However, if it is sliced diagonally, the chances of survival drop dramatically.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and please leave a comment <3  
> Look for the next chapter of this one ;)


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